Defrosting tunnel



Feb. 3, 1948. w. l.. GxBBoNEY DEFROS TING TUNNEL Filed Sept. 8, 1944 INVENTOR. Walter L. G/'bboneyl BY MM ATTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 3, i948 i NIT EDi STATES PAT *2,435,528y I DEFROSTING TUNNEL Walter L. Gihboney, Denver, Colo.`

Application'september 8, 1944, Serial No. 553,207

4 Claims.. (Cl. 134-125) This invention relates to the production andi conditioning for distribution-of` chilled orY frozen commoditi-es, such as icecream, icas, andthe like, and4 more particularly to that phase or step of such production and conditioning which involves separation of a'block oichilledy or frozen material from the container wherein formed, andv has as an object to provide-improved means automatically operable as a supplementA to andt incident ci routine production procedure-to disrupt; the bond. between the block; of material and its container and thereby releasesaid block forv convenient separation fromits matrix.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved means susceptible of convenient in corporation into theproduction cycle of chilled or frozenl commodities to initially` detach andV thereby facilitate removal of ablock, of gelid ma,- terialirom its mould.

A further object of theinventon is to provide improved means for automatically defrosting a. gelidmaterialmould or matrix as anincident of traverse therethrough.,

A further objectof the invention is to provide improved defrosting means operable to minimize handling and contaminationA of gelid material within a production and. conditioning cycle.

A further object of' the invention is to provide a defrosting tunnel adapted f`or operative asso.u ciation with typical production. apparatus, ar-

ranged for automatic traverse of theunitsto be defrosted' therethrough, which is simple and in.-

expensive of manufacture,` installation, and maintenance, and which is productivev of. sustained high quality of product, reduced waste, and' lustrated by the accompanying drawing, in

which- Figure 1` is a side elevation of' theimprovement asv constructed, assembled, andi arranged for pracandthelremovable cover being shown in cooperat.

ingzlslation withtheother elementsof the unit.

, Inlthe production of chllledior frozenfood com-` 2.l modities, it is customary practice t'oiiinally chill and set the material inl pan-like mouldslor' forms. of uniform. size, from which. containers. the blocks of material are subsequentlyl released for con.-1 version into wrapped or packaged units suitable` for merchandising. The moulds wherein the mazterial is set, and frequently stored, are` generally: hat, opentop, rectangular pans of suitablelmoisture-resistant,n heatrconductivef materiaL such: as. metal, glass plastic, and: the like,V whrleto` the molded iood composition. adheres` and. 'strongly` bonds at low, temperatures, therebyf complicating;

the operation of; removing; the molded block; from; Sinceseparation of the molded.v

itsv container. block from its matrix is usually, desired immediately prior. to division, wrappingand packagingof the block materiaLvit is convenient to introduce into the conveying system feeding thecutting, v .frappingl, and, packaging meansa defrosting tunnel Wherethrough the molds and. theirchilled contentsmay benautomatically passed forV disruption of thebond adhering-tlriefmolded-blocks` to their respectivecontainers, andtheinstant in- Y vention is. directed to the provision of a simple and efficient arrangement constituting such a,tun.

nel.

In the constructionl of` the improvement as shown, the numeral4 Il) designates a relatively-- long, open-top, preferably rectangular tank of'apf. propriete size and, any desired suitable construction, supported',V asby. means of Xedly-associated legs Il, or otherwise in longitudinal alignment and coplanar relation` of its upper margins with.

the upper run offa belt conveyor i2, or equivalentVA shelf i3 iixedly extends from and longitudinally of said tank in the plane ofthe tank upper mar- I.

gins and the conveyor upper run to bridge the space between the adjacent tank and conveyor ends and function as a slide connecting therebetween. Similarly, aV plane, smooth-surfaced shelf lli xedly extends inV the plane of thetanlc upper margins fromfthe' end of'said tank opposite to the shelf l3= and said shelf i4' may, if desired; operatively align and register with conveying or processing means, not shown. The open-top length of the tank I-fthus embraced between the shelves E3 and- |4 is longitudinally traversed by a slide-track I5; of operatively-suitable width' somewhat less thanA thewidth ofthe open tankV top, which smoothly merges atits-ends with the shelves l3` andv` M3 and theupper surface or saidjf slide-track` I 5 fis depressedi and1 gradually inclined` downwardly beneath the plane of the tank upper margins from its junction with the shelf I3 to a low point adjacent and spaced inwardly of the tank end adjoined by the shelf I4, from which low point the said slide-track then rises at a relativelysteeper incline to merge with the plane *of said shelf I4, the more steeply rising length of said slide-track preferably being intersected by a plurality of apertures or holes I6.

Suitably secured at their opposite ends to and rising above the upper surfaces of the shelves I3 'and I, a pair of guide bars Il is disposed to bridge longitudinally of the open top of the tank I0, said bars being of a size and construction conducive to rigidity, of such length as will extend well beyond each end of the Ytank and partially across the shelves I3 and I4, and positioned in such parallel spacing as will freely accommodate the width of a typical mold or container I8 therebetween. The bars I1 serve to deine a passage for a mold or container I8 longitudinally traversing the tank ID upper portion in sliding engagement With the slide-track I5, and for such purpose said bars may conveniently align with side margins of said slidetrack, corresponding ends of said bars preferably diverging outwardly and away from the tank I to facilitate engagement of successive molds and containers I 8 in guided relation therewith.

The tank I0 is adapted and arranged to be maintained charged with heated water to a uniform level such as will normally cover the lower portions of the slide-track I5, and for such purpose said tank is preferably included in a water circulating system whereof the line I9 leads from a suitable source or supply of water, not shown, to and for inflow of water within the tank I, and the line 2li connects with an upper portion of said tank and opens therethrough at the desired water level therein to provide an outflow from said tank positioned and arranged, as through the use of a line 20 larger than the line I9, to prevent overflow of said tank other than through said line 20. Where hot water supply is available, the water delivered through the line I9 may be pre-heated to the degree desired, or other means, such as heating coils, burners, and the like, such as are commonly employed for like purpose, may be associated with the tank I8 to maintain the charge of water therein at the desired temperature. The line 2i) may discharge to waste or to other tanks and facilities, as may be deemed most expedient in a given instance, but it is in general desirable to provide a rinsing tank for the molds or containers I8 in convenient association with the defrosting tunnel, for which purpose an open-top tank 2I may be positioned at one side of and below the tank IIJ to receive the outflow through the line 20, said tank 2| being provided with an outflow line 22 communicating through an upper tank portion to maintain a desired water level therein and discharging to waste, or to other agencies and apparatus, as the needs and associations of a given installation may indicate.

The apparatus thus far described is fully and automatically operable to accomplish the primary purposes of the invention. With the tank I 0 associated with the delivery end of a conveyer in the manner shown and above set forth, and the lines I9 and 20 included in a hot water circulating system and arranged to maintain a level of hot water within said tank such as will cover the depressed por-tions of the slide-track I5,

open-top molds or containers I8 charged with frozen material and successively loaded on and in longitudinal alignment with the conveyor upper run are automatically and successively delivered to the shelf I3 in position to engage between the bars I1 for guided. travel along the slide-track I5 in response to propulsive thrust developed through like delivery of subsequent units. As the charged molds or containers I8 longitudinally traverse the tank I0 they are lowered by the inclination of the slide-track I 5 so that the sides and ends, as well as the bottoms, of said units are brought into contact with the hot water charge of the tank and held in such contact until engagement with the upward incline at the end of the slide-track I5 remote from the shelf I3 functions to lif-t the containers successively from the tank and onto the shelf I4, the openings I6 in said upwardly inclined slide-track portion permitting return to the tank I 0 of water which might otherwise be ltrapped and pushed ahead of a mold or container onto the said shelf I4. During its transit through the tank I0, each mold or container I8 is so heated, as controlled by the temperature of the tank water .and the speed of unit transit, as to disrupt and destroy the bond between the matrix and its contents, so that the units delivered to the shelf I4 may be lifted therefrom by an operator, inverted over a suitable receiver, and thereby discharged of their contents in symmetrical block form, as molded, without damage, delay, or the necessity for any direct handling of the food commodity.

While not essential to functioning of the improvement in the manner and for the purpose above described, it is desirable that the opentop units I8 be protected against contamination of their feed contents during their transit of the tank I0, to which end a removable and replaceable cover of the type shown in Figure 3 is advantageously provided. The cover element may be of any suitable specic form, construction, and relationship with the other elements of the device, and may conveniently be as illustrated in the drawing, wherein the tank-supporting legs II are extended a suitable distance upwardly beyond the tank upper margins and are rigidly interconnected by means of a rectangular frame 23 iixed to their upper ends to lie in a plane parallel with that of the shelves I 3 and I4 and spaced upwardly above said shelves a distance suilicient to clear the units I8 in their travel thereunder, which frame defines a central aperture registering with the open topy of the tank I the removable and replaceable cover element itself consisting of a flat plate 24 coextensive with the area dened by the frame 23 and formed with angularly-related side and end anges disposed to telescope over and engage against corresponding portions of said vframe. The heated water of the tank I0, and its contact with the chilled units I8, is productive of a concentration of water vapor above said tank and beneath the cover 24, which vapor tends to condense on the cover under surface and might undesirably drip on the exposed contents surface of the units I8 save for the provision of a drip baille 25 associated with said cover. 'I'he drip baffle shown consists of a sheet of suitable material, bent to flattened V-shape, secured beneath and with its apex in registration with the longitudinal median line of the cover 24 to diverge laterally of and downwardly below said cover,

and sized to dispose its long margins outwardly beyond the bars I1 in overhanging relation with the tank portions between said bars and the adjacent tank sides and in position to lift through the central aperture ofthe frame 23. Water of condensation collecting on the under surface of the baille 25 will move down the inclined baffle surfaces to the long margins thereof, before separating as drops from said surface, and hence will drip into the tank at either side of the slide-track l5, rather than into or upon the units I8.

Since many changes, variations, and modifications in the specific form, construction, and arrangement of the elements shown and described may be ,had without departing from the spirit of the invention, I wish to be understood as being limited solely by the scope of the appended claims, rather than by any details of the illustrative showing and foregoing description.

I claim as my invention:

1. Apparatus of the character described comprising, an open-top tank, means for circulating heated water through and at constant level within said tank, shelves extending outwardly from the opposite ends and above the water level of said tank to slidably receive and support charged molds, a slide-track merging at its ends with and oppositely inclined downwardly from said shelves to traverse said tank in submerged relation of its intermediate portion beneath the tank water level, guide bars fixed in diverging relation of their corresponding ends to upper surfaces of said shelves to connect between the latter in bridging relation with sai-d tank and i'n aligned registration above the slide-track side margins, a cover removably and replaceably supported in suitably-spaced relation above said tank, and a drip baille carried by said cover in registration of its drip margins with tank areas laterally exterior to the passage dened by said guide bars.

2. In a system for the processing of chilled food commodities, the combination with means for automatically and successively delivering charged chilled open-top mold units of means operable in response to such delivery to disrupt the frost bond between each mold unit and its contents, said latter means comprising a slidetrack in alignment with said delivery means for the reception and guided support of mold units fed therealong by the pressure of successive mold deliveries thereto, and a depressed portion in said slide-track submerged beneath nthe surface of a constant-level, heated water bath a distance less than the depth of the mold supportable thereby.

and guide bars paralleling said depressed portion side margins engageabie with unsubmergeci upper margins of a mold on said slide-track. 5 3. Apparatus for disrupting the frost bond between a charged chilled open-top mold and its contents, comprising an open-top tank arranged for the circulation of heated water therethrough at maintained constant level therein, a slidetrack traversing said tank in coplanar disposition of its opposite end portions above the tank water level as shelves extending oppositely and outwardly from said tank, an intermediate slidetrack portion depressed beneath the tank water level a distance less than the depth of the mold supportable thereby, and spaced, parallel, guide bars end-fixed to and upstanding from the adjacent slide-track end portion surfaces and bridging said tank above the water level thereof in substantial alignment withthe depressed slidetrack portion side margins.

4. In apparatus for disrupting the frost bond between a charged chilled open-top mold and its contents having an open-top tank arranged for the circulation of heated water therethrough at maintained constant level therein, a slide-track traversing said tank in coplanar 'disposition of its opposite end portions above the tank water level as shelves extending oppositely and outwardly from said tank, an intermediate slidetrack portion depressed beneath the tank water level a distance less than the depth of the mold supportable thereby, and spaced, parallel, guide bars end-iixed to and upstanding from the adjacent slide-track end portion surfaces and bridging said tank above the water level thereof in substantial alignment with the depressed slidetrack portion side margins.

WALTER L. GIBBONEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ille 'of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,475,198 Potthoff Nov. 27, 1923 1,716,165 Cole et al June 4, 1929 2,092,938 Stebler Sept. 14, 1937 1,587,213 Brown June 1, 1926 1,356,055 Eick Oct. 19, 1920 1,384,311 Follinger July 12, 1921 1,178,166 McCue et al. Apr. 4, 1916 1,368,357 Scholtz Feb. 15, 1921 829,547 Schwarzenbach Aug. 28, 1906 

